BetterRide in the Media

“Athletic ability can only take an athlete so far and if an athlete doesn’t have the basics wired they will stop progressing well before they reach their potential. I know many athletes who can ski, snowboard and/or mountain bike and get down the mountain quickly, but they have bad habits and are surviving on athletic ability and daring, not skills. To win at the world cup level, or even for a recreational rider to improve, the rider must master the fundamentals of the sport.” – Gene Hamilton

New York Times – Pavement is So Pedestrian

Plenty of things flash through your mind when you’re pedaling fast down a path that runs along the edge of a cliff. Like plummeting to your death. But I was humming a circus tune, practicing a mental trick to stay relaxed so I could use my limbs to supplement the suspension of my bike. The technique is goofy but effective, enabling me to ignore the treacherous slope tumbling off to the right and concentrate on the trail ahead.

Discovery Channel – Featuring Gene Hamilton

MTB Race News

…Interestingly, when I transitioned to competing as an endurance mountain bike rider, faster riders told me all I had to do to go faster was to follow their wheel and try not to crash! This worked to a certain point, but there came a time where my technical skills plateaued and my race times were not improving. I wanted improvement, and just like when I was an equestrian, I was willing to work hard and practice. If only I knew how to practice correctly.

Freeride Foundation: Like Riding a Bike but Better

…That’s what I thought, anyway. If I spend more time on my bike, I’ll get so comfortable that I’ll naturally be able to tackle even the tech-iest of terrain. As my yearly emergency room visits can attest, my method is flawed. So, when Gene Hamilton agreed to hold his first-ever all-women’s downhill clinic at the end of February, I was excited to see what I’d been missing out on for the past 12 years of my riding career.

Skillz and Drillz with Gene Hamilton

…Most cyclists think the only way to get faster is to get fitter, and while getting fitter really, really helps, improving bike skills and efficiency not only allows you to downhill faster, but helps you conserve energy so you can focus on utilizing that hard-earned fitness to the best of your ability and hammer up the climbs